APMA News Brief

American Podiatric Medical Association

National News
In an analysis of MIPS, the American College of Physicians has argued that only 32 of 86 performance measures are valid under ACP's criteria.

Editor’s note: check out APMA’s MIPS Member FAQs for all you need to know about the program.

Visit https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/acp-says-dozens-of-mips-quality-measures-are-not-valid/521669/ to view the full article online.

 
A review of telemedicine claims by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General found that a significant percentage of those claims did not meet Medicare's reimbursement requirements. 

Visit https://medcitynews.com/2018/04/oig-report-cms-telehealth/?rf=1 to view the full article online.

 
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Medical billing has a language of its own, including a number of acronyms and abbreviations that it can pay to understand.

Editor’s note: APMA's Medicare resources are free to members at APMA.org.

Visit http://www.mdmag.com/physicians-money-digest/practice-management/the-medical-reimbursement-alphabet to view the full article online.

 
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To prevent billing errors, experts recommend keeping up to date with changes to diagnosis codes and employing data analytics.

Editor’s note: Code strong, subscribe to the fully integrated APMA Coding Resource Center.

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/how-fix-common-billing-mistakes to view the full article online.

 
Focusing on improving clinical documentation and carefully monitoring contracts with payers can help practices maintain proper reimbursement. 

Visit https://medcitynews.com/2018/04/4-ways-reverse-dwindling-reimbursements-payer-patient-revenue-streams/ to view the full article online.

 
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What Patients are Reading
Issues such as foot spasms can be indicators for other issues going on in the body.

Editor’s note: April is Foot Health Awareness Month. Check out APMA’s campaign materials and use them in your practice.

Visit https://www.longevitylive.com/anti-aging-beauty/anti-aging-health-studies/feet-health-legs-say/ to view the full article online.

 
Attempting to break in new shoes too quickly and holding on to old shoes too long are among the practices that can lead to foot pain.

Editor's note: Recommend APMA Seal products to your patients.

Visit https://www.self.com/story/shoe-mistakes-foot-pain to view the full article online.

 
Women's footwear isn't the only kind that can cause issues for feet. New trends in men's shoes can lead to foot and ankle problems as well. 

Visit http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5611173/Podiatrist-Nicole-Reilly-reveals-health-problems-men-increasingly-facing-shoes.html to view the full article online.

 
A variety of things can go wrong with a badly performed pedicure. Here are some things to look out for. 

Visit https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/pedicure-dangers-that-could-land-you-in-the-er/ to view the full article online.

 
The best advice for treating calluses is to see a podiatrist, but some products available for home use can help.

Editor's note: Recommend APMA Seal products to your patients.

Visit https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/beauty-style/best-products-foot-calluses to view the full article online.

 
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According to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office, health-care costs continue to rise, accounting for 17.9 percent of the nation's gross domestic product in 2016. The CBO expects Medicare to grow by an average of 5.5 percent per year beginning next year.

Visit https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/medicare-spending-on-track-to-hit-12t-in-2028-cbo-says/521697/ to view the full article online.

 
Utilizing locum tenens can help health-care organizations relieve the strain that leads to burnout for some physicians by giving them greater flexibility. 

Visit https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/locum-tenens-can-help-reduce-physician-burnout.html to view the full article online.

 
According to a new survey, among the most common reasons younger physicians leave a job are compensation, poor management, and inadequate work/life balance.

Editor’s note: Hiring? Looking for a change? We can help you at the APMA Career Center.

Visit https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/practices/recruiting-and-retaining-millennial-doctors-comphealth-lisa-grabl to view the full article online.

 
Although hospital acquisition of physician practices continues to grow, the resilience of independent physicians shouldn't be underestimated.

Editor’s note: Take advantage of APMA’s practice management and reimbursement resources, including compliance materials, HIT info, and much more. Free to members!

Visit http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/no-matter-pressure-applied-independent-physicians-will-survive to view the full article online.

 
American Podiatric Medical Association, Inc.
11400 Rockville Pike, Suite 220, Rockville, MD 20852
PH: 301-581-9200
info@apma.org | www.apma.org